Unprocessed Honey Recipes

It's Meatless Monday and we're going to be celebrating the Asian Lunar New Year in about 2 weeks. It's the perfect occasion to show you our family's favorite: tofu stir fry. For this version, I sauteed shiitake mushrooms, broccoli and roasted chestnuts. The chestnuts have a mealy texture that's very satisfying and filling, which is great when you're on a vegetarian diet. I'll be taking the proverbial plunge from the day before the New Year through the day after (there is a tradition of abstaining from meat during this period for the New Year).

I just came home from West Hollywood after promoting my second cookbook Banh Mi during the Golden Globes presentation. I also shared my pandan cookies, and guess what? I'm not big on bragging but everyone adored my signature cookies and the Banh Mi cookbook! I've shared and will share a few photos of the event on my social media channels.

While in Paris, my mother taught me a new trick for enhancing the flavor of vegetarian meals. She uses honey to caramelize tofu, then deglazes the dish with Maggi (or soy sauce). My parents aren't vegetarian but my mother used to cook a lot of vegetarian dishes for my grandparents who were. My husband Lulu was pleased to eat at my mom's because he got to discover new tofu dishes using these techniques. For this particular recipe, Mom and I sautéed some broccoli and bok choy along with tofu. Delicious!

Since I had to find the best honey available for this dish, it gave me another excuse to explore more Parisian open air markets. I found this wonderful creamy honey from a beekeeper who had come from the south of France to sell his wares. He was very passionate about his products. Lulu and I sampled several kinds, which were all fabulous. We got an absolutely delicious education in honey and brought many jars back with us.